


Witches' Brew

by Hissingwillows



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Diagon Alley, F/F, gert and karolina are friends because there is NO good reason that they aren't already, karolina is a lonely gay barista, nico is a tattoo artist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-03 00:30:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13329684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hissingwillows/pseuds/Hissingwillows
Summary: Karolina is new to the world of wizards and witches, despite being one herself. Working at a wizarding cafe provides the perfect opportunity to learn more about her new life and get a better handle on magic.She tells herself that, but it doesn't stop her from being distracted by the pretty artist in the corner of the cafe.





	1. Double Cappuccino

**Author's Note:**

> aka the magical coffee shop/tattoo artist au that no one asked for but i WILL deliver
> 
> hmu on tumblr on @lesbian--karolina!

At first glance, the Witches’ Brew Cafe looks like any ‘usual’ hypster small cafe. It has its specialty coffees with regions and flavor notes specified, which any barista was expected to be able to recite per request, is staffed with a mix of quirky employees, and is adorned with cozy furniture and odd paintings from local artists.

However, it was the location and customer demographic that makes it markedly different. It had been one of the first coffee houses to crop up in Diagon Alley, which meant that they served the local wizarding population. Wizards and witches came in all hours of the day, grabbing a quick drink and taking off to shop, or slumping over a table to study mounds of scrolls for a few hours.

For Karolina, it was where she worked, nine to four, nearly every day. She didn't consider herself the most skilled witch around, but with a little guidance from her coworkers, she’d quickly picked up the simple charms that went along with certain drinks. Some customers came in wanting a hangover cure, or a mocha with a little extra pep to get them started in the morning, or a muffin that might give them a bit of extra luck for upcoming exams.

It's usually Gert who takes the orders, while Karolina pulls shots and brews pour overs. Sometimes, when Karolina isn't sure which words go with what spell, she passes the drinks to Gert, and when Gert recognizes an often-rude customer, she’ll duck away from register and Karolina will knowingly take her place. It’s an arrangement that works well for them both, and they almost always end up on the same shifts.

Karolina wipes down the bottom of the espresso machine in preparation for another drink. She glanced over the hastily-scribbled list of orders—two more pour overs and a double cappuccino with a headache remedy spell—and starts to grind the coffee for the shots of espresso. “Hey, Gert?” she calls. “What's the spell for headaches, again?”

“Ebrios remedium,” Gert recites, as she opens the cash drawer to drop in a handful of silver sickles. “Circle your wand over it three times as you say it.”

“Thanks.” Karolina starts up the machine and positions the cup under it as it begins to pour. “How do you remember all this stuff? Brewing coffee is one thing, but I'm always getting the hangover cure mixed up with the stress reducing spell.”

Gert shrugs, smiling. “Hogwarts helped.”

Karolina starts foaming milk. All it takes is a flick of her wand, and the milk is ready. It still amazes her how perfectly foamy it turns out, without fail. As she pours the milk into the cup, she glanced back at Gert. “Who's the cap for?”

Gert raises a brow before she rolls her eyes. “Come on. You know who it's for.”

Karolina glances across the counter towards a table in the corner. A girl sits alone, by the window, slumped over a flat book. She scribbles a quill across the surface, biting her lip in concentration. She has a very goth look about her, with dark makeup, clunky boots, and her hair that somehow seems both messy and put-together at the same time. The only pop of color other than black on her is her plum suede jacket and her deep red lipstick, which, really, Karolina knows she shouldn't be taking the time to notice.

“You're doing it again,” Gert says, and Karolina can hear the smirk without seeing it.

Karolina looks back at the cappuccino as she pulls out her wand. “Doing what?”

“You know what I'm talking about,” Gert chuckles. There's no customers in line, so she turns around to the sink behind them and waves her wand to start getting the dishes to wash themselves.

“No I don't,” Karolina replies, much too quickly. She knows exactly what Gert means, but she isn't about to admit it. She circles her wand over the cup, scowling indignantly. “ _Ebrios remedium_.” The drink gives no indication of having being charmed, but she knows by now that it'll have worked. She slides the drink aside and pulls out a filter for the pour over. “Cap is done,” she says. “Can you take it?”

Gert looks over at her, grinning. “I'm busy with the dishes. You're perfectly capable of bringing her the drink.”

Karolina glances across the room again and swallows. She may or may not have been admiring her from afar for a while now, and often didn't even realize she would stare until Gert said something to her. She had no idea what her name even was—they never got busy enough to need to shout out names, so they didn't take them with orders. “Fine,” she says, picking up the drink. “I will.” She starts to walk around the bar.

“Get her number while you're at it!” Gert calls, and Karolina almost drops the drink.

The girl doesn't seem to notice, much to Karolina’s relief. She crosses the room, mentally focusing on not spilling the drink. She reaches the table and pauses as the girl glances up from her sketchbook.

“Double cappuccino?” Karolina asks, swallowing.

The girl smiles up at her and nods. “That's me. Thanks.” She moves the book aside to make room.

Karolina sets it down. She stands there for a long moment, until the girl looks back up at her curiously. Karolina blinks and shakes her head a little. “Um—sorry. Thank you!” she turns around and darts back to the bar as quickly as she can. The only thing that could've made it any more embarrassing would be if she had tripped and fell.

“So?” Gert asks, grinning mischievously. She’s back at the counter, dishes already magically washed. “How'd it go?”

“It was terrible,” Karolina groaned. She keeps her back to the espresso machine, refusing to look back towards the tables. “I'm never bringing anyone a cup of coffee again, ever, for the rest of my life.”

Gert laughs. “It wasn't _that_ bad. You did kinda stand there with a deer in the headlights look on your face, though.”

Karolina lets out another wordless groan and buries her face in the palms of her hands. She turns back around and peeks at the girl in the corner from between her fingers. She's back to drawing again, pausing every now and then to take a sip of her coffee.

“Don't forget the pour overs,” Gert reminds her. “And we got an order for a mocha and a soy latte.”

Karolina takes a breath before she positions herself by the pour overs. “Yeah, yeah, I'm on it.”

She was definitely never going to try to bring her coffee again.

* * *

 

Karolina doesn't get much more coordinated around her mystery crush.

She comes in nearly every day, or at the very least, every other day. Sometimes she sits on the bench along the window on the other side of the door, or at one of the tables in the center of the cafe, but usually, Karolina can spot her sitting at her corner table. Karolina notices that she prefers to sit here, and when she walks in to find it occupied, she makes a disgruntled face with her nose wrinkled before she rolls her eyes and finds another seat.

It's another one of those things Karolina figures she really shouldn't be noticing as a barista who doesn't even know her name.

Gert points her out every time, with that familiar mischievous grin. It's been four days since she tried to drop off the cappuccino and floundered, and she’s been finding excuses every time to not bring her drinks. She pretended that the grinder was jammed, was quick to run to start the dishes, or was too busy pulling shots for orders that didn't exist, but today, she had nothing. The dishes were washed, Gert herself had already looked over the grinder, and the cafe was nearly empty save for the goth girl and a couple of guys on the other side of the cafe.

She stands there, the girl’s usual double cappuccino in hand, before she slowly starts to slide it towards Gert.

“Oh, don't even try it,” Gert chuckles. “It's _your_ turn.

Karolina sighs. She knows there's no arguing with her at this point. “Fine, fine.” She picks the drink back up, and steels herself as she walks around the counter and out towards the tables.

The girl doesn't look up from her sketchbook this time as Karolina stops at her table. She’s staring hard at her book as her quill dances across the surface. Karolina clears her throat, and she pauses to glance up. “Oh,” the girl says, one corner of her lips turning up in a sort of half-smile. “Hey.”

“Double cappuccino?” Karolina holds it out, forcing herself to smile and hoping she doesn't look too weird doing so.

“Yup.” The girl reaches out and takes it, then sets it beside her book. “Thanks.”

Karolina glances down for a second at the sketchbook. The girl has been drawing an elaborate, detailed dragon. It looks like it's sitting up on its rear legs, wings expanded as wide as they can. The dragon’s jaws are parted to reveal a set of jagged teeth. Karolina stares down at it until it blinks and slowly flaps its wings once.

Her eyes widen. “Did that just… move?”

The girl looks back up at her, before she glances back at the drawing. “Huh?”

The dragon sticks out its tongue, and the girl glares at it. “Hey,” she says, sharply, and pokes the drawing. “Stop that. You're not finished.”

The dragon scowls, as though displeased, before it resumes its former position and falls still again.

“It—its supposed to move?” Karolina asks, blinking a few times.

“Not _yet_ ,” the girl says, crossing her arms. She glances back up at Karolina, then smiles at her bemused look. “What, you really never seen magical drawings before?”

Karolina shakes her head quickly. “Um… no, not really.” She hesitates when the girl doesn't say anything. “It's… it's really good. I just didn't think it would, well, you know…”

The girl smiles and laughs. “Thanks. It better be good. I have to put it on someone’s arm in a couple hours.”

 _What?_ Karolina has no clue what she means, and her brain seems scrambled just from standing in front of this girl. “What do you mean?”

The girl just looks even more amused. “Tattoos?” she says. “You know… drawings on people’s skin?”

Karolina feels herself blushing, and she wants nothing more than to run back behind the bar and hide under the dish sink. “Right. Tattoos.” She glances over her shoulder towards Gert, hoping the girl will call her back and save her from further embarrassment, but her friend only flashes her a grin and a thumbs up.

“Yeah, I—” the girl breaks off to look back at the paper. The dragon now has its nose turned up at her, reptilian arms crossed in annoyance. “Hey! What did I just say?” She jabs it again, and the dragon drawing rolls its eyes and settles back into position. “I love enchanted drawings, but _man_ , they have attitude!”

“Does it move when you tattoo it?” Karolina asks, curiously. She's seen tattoos on wizards before, but she hasn't taken the time to really notice if they're mobile or not. She knows that magical photographs can move, and that some paintings will talk like people, but she isn't sure how exactly tattoos work.

“Some of them, yeah,” Nico says. “Like this guy. Some people just want regular old tattoos, too, but most wizards go for these.”

“Oh,” Karolina says, unsure of what she should actually say. She watches as the dragon drawing sticks out its tongue again and scowls. “It's… um, it's moving again.”

“God dammit,” the girl mutters. “Getting these things to listen is impossible.”

“Well, I should probably—you know, get back to work,” Karolina says, swallowing.

“Yeah, me too,” the girl replies. She looks back up at her, towards her chest, and squints a little. “Thanks…” she trails off, and Karolina realizes she’s searching for a name tag.

“Oh! Karolina,” she tells her. “Yeah, we don't really do name tags.”

“Karolina,” the girl repeats, smiling again. “Nico. Nice to meet you.” She sticks out her hand, and it takes Karolina far too long to process it before she grabs it and shakes her hand.

“Yeah, you too.” She pulls away, smiling weakly, before she turns and scurries back to the counter. She can tell her face is beet-red, and she only blushes harder when Gert grins wildly at her.

“Oooooh!” Gert whispers. “How’d it go?”

“I have no idea what just happened,” Karolina replies, only half-kidding. She can still feel Nico’s handshake, and her heart is racing. “One second I was handing her a coffee, and the next her dragon drawing was moving around and we were talking.”

Gert looks as excited as if it was _her_ that had just talked to a crush. “Well?” she asks. “Did you at least get her number? You were over there forever!”

Karolina shakes her head. Her heart rate, thankfully, is returning to a healthy pace. “No. I got her name. And she shook my hand.”

Gert just laughs. “Karolina, you’re a wreck.”

Karolina doesn’t reply. She just hurries to busy herself with wiping off the counter for the fifth time that day, and refuses to look back over at Nico. _Tell me something I don’t know._


	2. Four Shots of Espresso

Karolina is working the register one morning when Nico comes in. It's been a week since Karolina talked to the artist last, and she gulps as she sees her walk through the door. This time she has a black leather jacket on, but the red lipstick remains. She has a dark messenger bag slung over her shoulder, presumably with her art supplies inside.

Karolina straightens up, struggling to remember what to say. She shouldn’t be this caught off-guard by a customer, but, well, it’s Nico, and she’s ridiculously pretty.

Nico stops in front of the counter and smiles. “Hey. Karolina, right?”

“Yeah—yes,” Karolina nods, smiling despite her stammering. “Um, what can we get started for you?”

“The usual,” Nico replies easily. “Double cappuccino.”

“Anything else?” Karolina asks, as she punches in the drink. _How am I such a mess when she’s always so flawless?_

“Nope,” Nico says. She reaches in her bag for her wallet. “Fifteen sickles, yeah?”

Karolina hums an _mhm_ and nods again. Nico pulls out a galleon instead and drops it her hand. “Keep the change.”

Karolina takes it and smiles gratefully. “Thanks.” She opens the change drawer to drop it in, and looks back up. Nico is still putting her wallet back, and Karolina can feel Gert’s hard stare from the espresso machine. If Nico weren't standing right in front of her, Gert would probably yell at her to say something and stop being totally useless.

“Did you finish the dragon?” Karolina asks, a bit suddenly.

Nico grins. “Yeah. He came out pretty good. Maybe I'll show you when you bring the coffee.” She pulls the strap of her bag up a little on her shoulder before she turns on her heel and heads for her usual corner table. Karolina watches as she pulls out her supplies and gets situated.

“Sooo,” Gert drawls. “You wanna make your girlfriend’s coffee, or should I?”

“Oh my god,” Karolina whispers, face starting to redden. “Shut up.” She moves to take Gert’s place at the machine anyway, and her friend flashes her a triumphant grin.

Karolina falls into the familiar rhythm, working quickly to grind the coffee and set up the espresso. She pulls the handle, and waits as it slowly starts to pour into the cup. She glances up for a moment towards Nico. This time, Nico catches her looking, and smiles in the odd sort of way that Karolina has picked up on—one corner of her mouth slightly turned up more than the other. Karolina looks down quickly, knowing that she's blushing all over again.

(Her smile is another one of those things Karolina notices that she figures means she stares too much at Nico.)

When she risks another glance, Nico is back to scrawling, but her smile remains.

Karolina hastily foams the milk for the coffee, nearly spilling it in the process. Thankfully, though, she still has the slightest bit enough of composure to not make a total fool out of herself this time, and she finishes off the cappuccino quickly. She places a napkin on a little serving plate, sets the cup on top, and picks the whole thing up.

“Doing it without me telling you, huh?” Gert asks, one brow raised. “Progress. Maybe by next month you'll get out a full sentence without stuttering or blushing.”

“Gert, I swear to god, I _will_ pour this on you if you don't shut up,” Karolina practically hisses, but Gert only snickers as she watches her go.

Karolina crosses the cafe quickly. Every time seems to get easier, and she worries less about whether or not she’s going to trip over her own feet and more about if Nico has caught her looking more than just now. She stops short of setting it down and smiles. “Double cappuccino.”

“You gotta say that every time?” Nico asks, a light smirk on her face. “You know I ordered it.”

“I'm supposed to,” Karolina says, before she sets it down. “Can't go around accidentally mixing up someone’s non-dairy mocha with a latte.”

“That would be a tragedy,” Nico replies, snorting softly. “So, you wanna see him?”

“The dragon?” Karolina nods and tucks her hands into the pockets of her apron. “Yeah!” (Part of her does, but another part just really wants any excuse to keep standing by her.)

Nico picks up the sketchbook and flips a few pages back before setting it back down. Karolina leans over to study it. The dragon now has color; scales inked in a deep, dark blue, with brilliant green eyes. “It's a Swedish Short-Snout,” Nico explains. “Apparently the guy that wanted it is a dragonologist. Said the color had to be accurate and everything.” Karolina has no idea what she's talking about, but she nods along anyway.

The drawing shakes itself, blinks, and yawns, before it belches out a bit of inky fire across the page. Nico scowls down at it. “Oh, stop that,” she says. “I will close you back up.”

The dragon closes its jaws and snorts out a bit of scribbled smoke.

“Yeah,” Nico huffs. “That's what I thought.”

“That's still so cool,” Karolina laughs. “I've seen some weird stuff since moving here, but pictures moving definitely caught me off-guard.”

Nico frowns up at her curiously. “Did you move here for school?”

Karolina shakes her head. “No, I just came here recently. Did you go to Hogwarts? You've clearly got magic down, but you don't really have the accent.”

Nico snorts again and cocks a brow. “Neither do you. But yeah, my parents always thought Hogwarts was the best wizarding school around, so they sent me here. I never went back, and here I am. You?”

Karolina shrugs. “I didn't get much of a magical education. It's kind of why I came here.”

“Really?” Nico sets her elbow on the table and rests her chin on her hand. “Why’s that?”

“I…” Karolina hesitates. She glances down at her feet, mouth starting to feel dry. _I don't know if I really want to get into everything._ “Well, it's… just a long story.”

“Karolina!” Gert’s call makes her jump a little. “You've got a bunch of drinks to make!”

“That's me,” she says, smiling lamely. “The dragon is really cool.”

“You've said,” Nico replies, smiling again. “Guess you've gotta get back to work, huh?”

“Guess I've gotta,” Karolina repeats, backing up. She turns and manages to trip on the corner of a chair that someone graciously didn't push back in. She catches herself before she falls, and nearly runs the rest of the way back to the bar. _How do I keep embarrassing myself every time I talk to her?_ she wonders, cursing her bad luck and whatever asshole left his chair pulled out.

Karolina takes over at the espresso machine now that Gert has resumed her usual post in front of the register. Their usual couple hours of early afternoon rush starts to trickle in, until they have a line of at least six people at any given time. The time passed quickly as Karolina pours drink after drink, pausing only to briefly wipe down the machine between pulls.

She doesn't notice when Nico leaves, but that doesn't stop her from feeling disappointed when she finally realizes she's gone.

“Will you go run and grab dishes?” Gert eventually asks, as she rings up yet another customer. “Think we’re starting to slow down enough.”

Karolina nods and grabs a plastic bin. She sets off around the cafe, snagging empty cups and plates from the vacated tables and stopping to ask customers if there's anything else they need. She stops last at Nico’s now-empty table, and sets the bin down on it so she can put her cup and plate in there. The cup is back on the plate, but her napkin is off to the side, on the table, and it catches Karolina’s eye. On it is a doodle of a dragon, far less detailed that the one for the tattoo, but still bearing the resemblance to it. It doesn't move as much as the full drawing, but the fire spouting from its jaws dies down every few seconds before it spits out another black outline of flame. It moves jaggedly, like a short clip with only a few frames, but it’s still just as incredible as seeing any other drawing move freely.

Karolina can't help but grin. She tucks the napkin into an apron pocket and collects the cup and plate.

* * *

 

The next few days are busy. Nico still comes in almost every day, but Karolina doesn't have the time to talk much. Gert ends up bringing her most of her drinks, anyway, and Karolina falls back into her old habit of absent-mindlessly staring over the top of the espresso machine towards her, often completely unaware that she's doing so.

Nico leaves little doodles on her napkins before she leaves, and Karolina stashed them on an empty shelf beneath the espresso machine. Gert doesn't seem to notice, which Karolina is grateful for, because she _knows_ that Gert would never let her live it down if she did.

It isn't until nearly a week later, when Gert is dodging a customer she knows will be nasty and Karolina is running the register, that they finally talk again. Nico trudges up to the counter, hair looking a little less intentionally messy and more like she rolled out of bed and did her best to put it up to get it out of her face before hurrying out. Not even her layers of makeup hide the bags under her eyes.

Karolina smiles sympathetically as Nico leans against the counter. “Rough night?"

Nico just groans in response. “Can I do, like… four shots of espresso?” she asks, voice raspy. “Don't you guys do a hangover cure thing too?"

Karolina has a hard time keeping a straight face, but she nods and starts punching it in. “Sure. And yeah, it's just a healing spell to charm the coffee.”

“That,” Nico manages. A hand reaches up to massage her temples. “Please.”

“Sixteen sickles,” Karolina tells her.

Nico rummages around in her wallet and gives her a handful of coins. It's definitely more than sixteen, but she doesn't ask for change, and says nothing else as she slowly moves away.

Karolina watches her go. Instead of going to her usual spot, she heads along the length of the counter, rounds the corner around the espresso machine, and sits on a stool along the counter, which is empty save for two pour overs on wooden stands. She slumps over the counter, burying her face in her arms. Karolina shakes her head, smiling, as she counts out the price and drops the rest in the tip jar.

“Did you say four shots?” Gert asks, staring at her blankly. She seems more surprised by her appearance along the bar than Karolina.

Nico makes a muffled noise that sounds like a sort of confirmation, and Gert just nods knowingly. “I hear you, sister.” She flashes a toothy smile at Karolina. “You wanna take care of those and I’ll take over the register again?”

Karolina rolls her eyes and moves to trade places. By now, she's all too used to Gert’s not-so-subtle teasing about Nico. She grabs a portafilter, sticks it under the grinder, and starts it up. Nico groans at the loud whirring of the grinder, but makes no attempt to move.

“You look beat,” Karolina says, as she presses the grounds down. “What did you do, drink a whole barrel of firewhiskey?”

“Don't even joke about firewhiskey,” Nico mutters. She looks up and rests her chin on her arms. “No, but I was at a party with some friends from school.” She sits up to rub her forehead again, and points a cautionary finger at Karolina with her other hand. “Never believe what people say about Hufflepuffs being squares,” she says. “I haven't seen that much muggle tequila in one room since we won the house cup in my fifth year."

Karolina is about the pull the lever to start the espresso, but she pauses. “Wait,” she says, trying to hold in a laugh. “ _You_ were a Hufflepuff?”

Nico glares at her. “Don't ever bring it up,” she growls. “It's not funny.”

Karolina can't help but giggle. “ _You're_ a Hufflepuff.”

“What?” Nico demands. “It's a perfectly respectable house.”

“I'm not saying it isn't,” Karolina says, as she pulls down the level for the espresso. “You just don't look _anything_ like most Hufflepuffs I've met.”

Nico opens her mouth to reply, but instead, she clenches her eyes closed and buries her face in her hands. “No more talking,” she grumbles. “Need coffee.

Karolina obliges and quietly finishes up the shots. She pours it all into one mug and pulls out her wand. She waves the tip slowly over the drink. “ _Contra ipsum_.” The liquid inside bubbles once, the only sign that it’s been altered. She picks it up, turns, and sets it in front of Nico. “Done.

Nico snatches it up and takes a sip immediately, before she chokes on it. “Fuck,” she gags. “Hot.”

Karolina snorts. “I literally just poured it. You watched me do it."

Nico sticks out her tongue. She holds the mug up to her mouth and quietly blows on it.

“Karolina!” Gert calls. “Two lattes with a pump of butterscotch.”

Karolina looks over towards her and smiles at the customer who ordered it. He’s a tall, shaggy-haired man, and a usual at the cafe. “I’ve got to make those,” she says. “So the grinder is going back on."

“Oh, god no,” Nico starts to complain. She pauses, notices the customer, and narrows her eyes. “Am still I drunk, or is that Harry fucking Potter?”

Karolina glances back at him. He’s chatting amicably with Gert as he drops in a couple of sickles in the tip jar. “Huh? Oh, yeah. He comes in sometimes. I think his kids go to Hogwarts.” She shrugs as she sticks another portafilter under the grinder and switches it on. “Wasn’t he, like, a war hero or something?”

“Oh my god,” Nico whispers. “You really did have a sheltered childhood.” She takes another long sip of her drink, and sighs. “At least this is working. My headache is already going away.”

Karolina shuts off the grinder, presses the grounds, and sets up the machine again. “Don’t they teach healing spells at Hogwarts?” she asks. “I’m always wondering why people don’t just use the spells on themselves.”

Nico frowns. “I’m genuinely terrible at healing spells.” She sips the espresso.

Karolina pulls the level and waits as the coffee slowly starts to stream through. “How bad?”

“Like…” Nico thinks for a moment. “If you got shot right now, and you were lying in the street bleeding to death, and my only options were using a healing spell or calling a muggle doctor an hour away, I would call the muggle.”

Karolina bursts out laughing. “Okay, you can’t be _that_ bad!”

“I really am,” Nico insists. “Once I tried to use a charm to get rid of some cramps and I ended up vomiting slugs for twenty minutes.”

Karolina shudders. She sets the espresso aside and pours some milk in a frothing pitcher. “That’s disgusting.”

“You’re telling me,” mutters Nico. “I had to taste slugs coming up my throat. No amount of mouthwash can make you forget what _that’s_ like.” She pauses for another drink. “Mmm,” she hums. “I’m never drinking again. No matter how many times they invite me over, I’m _saying no_.”

Karolina laughs. “Are all Hufflepuff parties that crazy?” She pulls out the butterscotch syrup and squirts some in the paper cups.

Nico shrugs. “I mean, they’re wild, but necessarily _that_ bad. It was mostly that I saw an ex there and instead of dealing with like a normal adult, I drank until I couldn’t really see his face.”

 _His._ The use of the pronoun makes something inside Karolina deflate. “Oh?” she replies, voice strained in the slightest. “Sorry to hear that.”

“It’s whatever,” Nico says, shrugging again. She glances down at her cup, quiet while Karolina finishes assembling the lattes and passes them over to Gert. “Hey,” she says, eventually. “You never gave me a napkin.”

Karolina glances at her from the corner of her eye. “Do you need one?”

“Duh,” Nico retorts, with a roll of her eyes, as though it should have been obvious.

She really _does_ seem already mostly recovered from her debilitating hangover, and Karolina smiles in site of her disappointment. Karolina reaches down for one of the square napkins and leaves it by Nico.

Gert calls her over again, waving a scrap of paper with a list of drinks. Karolina had hardly noticed the customers coming and going, and she apologizes and starts up the espresso machine again. Nico sits there a while longer, not making much conversation from then on. The rush doesn’t seem to be letting up, so when she gets up to leave, they only wave a goodbye before the artist grabs her bag and takes off.

When Karolina finally goes to take her cup, she glances at the napkin. It’s a badger, this time, waving slowly at her with one paw. It has a little circular tongue stuck out, like the dragon drawing.

Karolina grins and slides it under the counter with the others. _Maybe there is some hope._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm gonna be real, i actually have no idea where nico best fits in hogwarts, but isn't her angsty goth self as a hufflepuff adorable and hilarious?


	3. Earl Grey

It's Saturday, which means Stacey Yorkes can be found sitting on a stool along the bar in the cafe. As Gert’s mom and co-owner of their whole building, including the flats upstairs from the cafe, she often comes downstairs on the weekends to sip a pour over that she makes herself and chat with the girls.

Gert sits on a stool on the inside of the counter, keeping a watchful eye on the door as she talks with her mother. They're nearly alone in the cafe, save for an older wizard sitting at a single table and a young couple across the room at another.

Saturday mornings are usually slow. There's typically a little rush around lunchtime, but otherwise, the cafe tends to be quiet on weekends. Karolina has her own stool pulled up in front of the register, which may or not be the perfect spot to stare bleakly at Nico’s empty table.

Stacey breaks her out of her spacing. “You look like you're waiting for someone, hun.”

Karolina tries to shoot Gert a look that says _don't you dare say a word,_ but she has her head turned towards Stacey, and doesn’t catch her glare. She doesn't need to see Gert smirking to know that she is.

“Oh, Mom, have I not told you yet?” Gert snickers. “Karolina’s got a crush on a customer.”

Stacey purses her lips in a funny little smile. “Oh, honey, that is adorable.”

Karolina buries her face in her hands. “Oh my god.”

They both ignore her. Gert points across the cafe towards Nico’s usual table, and Karolina feels herself start to die a little on the inside. “She sits over there,” she explains, clearly either unaware to Karolina’s desperation for her to stop, or just doesn't care. (Karolina knows it's probably the latter.)

“Oh?” Stacey puts a finger to her chin, looking thoughtful. “Would I have seen her?”

“She doesn't usually come in on the weekends,” Karolina grumbles resignedly.

“Thanks for admitting you have a crush on her,” Gert says, shooting her a quick grin and turning back towards Stacey. Karolina groans loudly, to no avail. “Anyway, Mom, she's an artist. She always leaves Karolina little drawings on the napkins and she thinks I don't know about them because she hides them on the shelf under the espresso maker—”

If there is a physical limit to how much a human is capable of blushing, Karolina has long crossed it.

“—She flirts with Karolina _all_ the time, too, but Karolina is too in denial to notice it—”

“She does _not_ ,” Karolina protests, moving again to hide her face.

“Case in point,” Gert says. “She even abandoned her usual spot to come sit at the bar the other day. Karolina says she get pissed when her table is taken.”

“Aw, hun,” Stacey chuckles. “It's so sweet that you notice things like that.” She sits up a little, looking excited. “Ooh, should I read you some tea leaves? It's always good to read leaves for something like this. Should I make some tea? I have some  _fantastic_ Earl Grey. Let me make you some tea.”

Karolina moans wordlessly into her hands. _I'm going to kill Gert_ , she thinks. _I'm gonna kill her._

They eventually stop pestering her and go back to whatever topic they'd been talking about before. Karolina sighs and leans over the counter, head propped up by her hands on her chin, plenty embarrassed but not truly mad. Stacey is one of those people that tries to be a mom to all of her kids’ friends, and while she can be a bit overbearing, Karolina likes her and sometimes even enjoys the attention. Stacey had even rented her out one of the little flats above the cafe, which made for a convenient commute work, even if it meant Stacey was always inviting her up for homemade brie and tea reading.

Karolina leaves the counter after a while and heads towards the tables to start wiping down the empty ones for the lack of anything better to do. She moves slowly around the cafe, in no rush to finish the task.

The bell on the door rings as it opens, and Karolina glances up from one of the longer tables that she’s been trying to get a dried splatter of coffee off of.

It's not Nico, but she wishes it was.

“Welcome to Witches’ Brew!” Gert calls, as the customer crosses the cafe space without a glance at Karolina. “What can we get started for you?”

She turns her mind back to the task at hand, wiping off a wooden chair as the whir of the grinder starts up.

* * *

 

Karolina finishes wiping and dusting and returns to find Stacey clutching a little cup of tea. “Honey, I made some tea,” she says, smiling kindly. “You know I always had top marks in my Divination classes.”

Karolina sighs as she tosses the rag in a hamper. _There’s no arguing with Stacey when it comes to tea reading._ Gert gets up from her stool and takes Karolina’s by the register, pausing only to give Karolina a pat on the shoulder, clearly so that she can sit in front of Stacey. She slides onto the stool and takes the cup, trying to look a little grateful.

“Go on,” Stacey encourages her, rubbing her hands together. “Oh, it’s about time one of you kids starts dating.”

“ _Mom,_ ” Gert sighs, and for once, it’s Karolina who smirks over her shoulder at her.

She holds the cup to her lips and drinks slowly. She’s been through enough of these tea reading sessions with Stacey that she knows by now to drink slowly and leave a little in the bottom for her to swirl around. Karolina steadily sips her tea under Stacey’s watchful eye, until the older woman motions for her to pass it over.

Stacey swirls it a few times before she narrows her eyes and peers into it. “Hmm…” she gives it another shake. “There we go. Let’s see… there’s mostly this sphere… could be the moon, or maybe it’s just a circle? There’s some waving lines near it, so maybe the sun. A good sign either way.” She turns the cup in her hands. “Actually, maybe it’s a biscuit.”

Karolina exchanges a tired look with Gert.

“Maybe you need to give it a good shake.” Stacey presses the cup back into Karolina’s hands. “Sometimes it works better that way.”

Karolina humors her. She shakes it around a few times, before she hands it back to her.

“There we go—oh dear.” Stacey frowns. “I think that’s a dragon _and_ a little circle now.”

“What’s that mean?” Karolina asks, trying to sound interested. She puts about as much faith in divination as Gert does in men, and that’s to say that she has very little towards it. But she knows that Stacey adores it, and so both she and Gert put up with it for her sake.

“Well, a dragon usually means great changes coming,” Stacey says. “But with a bit of potential danger. I think the circle is a moon, which considering the dragon, could mean a number of things… I think in this case the change could be a lucky one, but it doesn’t make it any less dangerous.” Stacey sets down the cup and leans back to consider this. “Hmm…”

Karolina glances towards the door as the bell rings again, relieved to see a young man walk in. “Well,” she says, forcing a smile. “Thanks for the reading, Mrs. Yorkes, but I guess I’ve got to get back to work!”

Gert nods gravely, giving Karolina a knowing look of sympathy. “Oh, yes, I definitely need your help on the espresso machine for this one.”

Stacey grins again, as though the tea is already forgotten. “Oh, you girls work so well together!”

They share another exasperated look before Gert turns to help the new customer.

* * *

 

Around three, Nico does come in, and Karolina immediately shoots Gert a warning look. Stacey is still sitting by the counter, nose buried in a thick, leather-backed book. Gert just shrugs and smiles, and Karolina takes it as the sign that she’s not going to shake her mother out of her reading to further embarrass Karolina today. (Or just not yet, anyway.)

She’s got a quick clip to her step today, which gives Karolina the sense she’s in a hurry. Nico stops in front of the register and goes to dig out her wallet. Gert is closest, so she goes to take the order. “What can we get started for you?”

“Double cappuccino,” Nico says. She looks past Gert and smiles at Karolina. “To go, today,” she tells her. “I’m tattooing someone in, like, thirty minutes. Gotta get the caffeine in while I still can.”

Gert gives an understanding nod as she enters it in. With a little smirk, she says, “Karolina mentioned you were an artist, but she didn’t tell me you did tattoos.”

Nico and Karolina glance at each other. Karolina’s hand stills on the switch for the grinder, before she gulps and flips it on. _Oh my god, I’m going to end Gert before this day is over,_ she thinks, very aware of the blush spreading across her cheeks. Nico just smiles, one corner of her lips turned up higher than the other, and looks back to Gert. “Yep,” she replies, completely unfazed. “This guy wants a moon on his arm that’ll change phases with the actual moon.”

Gert just keeps nodding as though Nico’s just said any old thing she’s heard a dozen times already, but Karolina raises both brows as she moves to fit the permafilter on the espresso machine. “You can… do that?”

Nico crosses her arms. “What?” she asks, feigning offense. “You think I can draw a dragon that breathes fire when it feels like it but a not tattoo a simple phasing moon? Ouch.”

“Um—” Is all Karolina can manage. She grabs for the lever for the espresso and it takes much longer than it should to get a grip on it.

Nico starts laughing. “I’m just messing with you.” With another glance towards Gert, she asks, “She always this serious?

There’s a sudden, rapid tapping on a window along the wall to Karolina’s right, behind Stacey. She glances up to see a barn owl pecking at the glass and flapping furiously to keep herself upright.

“Oh, dear, I forgot to leave the window open,” Stacey says, spinning on her stool. “I’ve got it, I’ve got it.” She gets up and hurries over to slide the window open, and the owl swoops in with an irritated hoot.

The owl lifts up for a moment before she glides down to plop a fat newspaper on the counter, then lands on top of the espresso machine. She stares down at Karolina expectantly, giving an impatient ruffle of her feathers.

“Yeah, yeah,” Karolina mutters. She grabs a plain scone from the pastry display alongside the espresso machine, and holds it up to the owl’s face. “There you go, greedy.”

“Aw.” Nico walks a little closer to the owl and grins up at it. “She yours?"

“Ours, actually,” Stacey says, with a fond smile. “The Yorkes’ family owl.”

“Sometimes she brings me mail,” Karolina says, crossing her arms as the owl starts to devour the scone. “When she feels like it.”

“I’m always telling Karolina she should get an owl,” Stacey says, _tsking_ for a moment. “They’re not so helpful to witches that aren’t theirs.”

Nico reaches up to gently run her hand down the owl’s back. She ruffles her feathers again, but doesn’t seem bothered as she continues to peck at the scone. “Wait,” she says, glancing at Karolina again. “You seriously don’t have an owl?”

“No?” Karolina replies with a shrug. She grabs a pitcher and pours milk in. “I don’t know that I need one. I don’t get much mail.”

“Oh, come on,” Nico retorts. “An owl is a wizard staple! Tell me you’ve at least got a cat or even a _toad_ , then?”

“Nope,” Karolina tells her, as she flicks her wand over the pitcher to froth the milk.

“That’s ridiculous,” Nico says. She narrows her eyes for a few seconds, before suddenly asking, “What time do you get off?”

“What?” Karolina blurts, caught off guard by the question.

“You heard me,” Nico says, firmly. “We’re getting you an owl. Magical education or no magical education, you’ve got to have some kind of classic wizard animal. Plus, owls are actually _useful_. Everyone uses them for mail. Plus, they’ll keep rats out of your house.”

Karolina almost declines, but before she says anything, Gert gives her a hard, wide-eyed stare, as though practically begging her to think for a second. She pauses, mouth hanging open in the slightest, before she smiles shyly and says, “Four.”

“Hmm.” Nico moves her hand to scratch at the owl’s chest. “I can be back here at four-thirty. Trust me, I know the best owl shop in Diagon Alley.”

Karolina does her best to keep her voice steady as she replies. “Sounds good to me.” She pours the espresso and the foamed milk into a paper cup, fits a lid on top, and holds it out to Nico with a smile that’s probably too wide.

Nico takes it and grins. “See you later.” She gives the owl one last pet before she turns with a last wave to Gert and walks back towards the door and out of the cafe.

“Someone has a _da-ate_ ,” Gert sings, flashing a toothy smile.

The moment the door closes with a little ring of the bell, Stacey lets out a gasp she had clearly been holding in. “Karolina!” she exclaims. “Was that _her_?”

Karolina’s previous embarrassment returns. “It’s not a _date_ ,” she mumbles, but that doesn’t stop the growing warmth in her chest.

* * *

 

Nico knows she shouldn't be doing this. She tells herself often that she's just forming a budding new friendship, but that line got old fast, and she had never been much good at fooling herself.

She had always noticed the long glances Karolina gave her from behind the espresso machine at Witches’ Brew, before they were properly introduced. Nico would pretend not to notice, but she did, she always did, and she’d be lying if she said the attention wasn't part of the appeal of the cafe.

 _Still,_ she thinks, as she flips through her sketchbook. _I really shouldn't have done that._

It's not like she doesn't want to see Karolina outside of their quick exchanges in the coffee shop. Nico didn't hesitate for a moment to ask when Karolina was done with work—in fact, she’d been considering it for a while. She’d picked up easily on how flustered and shy Karolina could be, and she had a feeling that nothing would happen if she waited for the barista to say something. Nico likes how mesmerized Karolina is by her art—it's nothing most wizards haven't seen, but Karolina looks like she’s seen a miracle every time—and how it takes next to nothing to get a smile from her.

It's just that she really, really shouldn't, and she knows it.

Nico neatly tears out a page from the book and tacks it to the wall alongside some other examples of tattoo designs. They're nothing special, not like the dragon that Karolina loves, just a collection of shapes and outlines and a few flowers.

 _I can't,_ Nico tells herself. She flips the book shut and sets it on a nearby table. What if something real happened between them? Something that was more than just smiles across a cafe and drawings on unused napkins? _I can't do that to her. I can't do that to anyone._

But Nico thinks of Karolina’s shy smiles and the way she laughs, and no amount of internal _don't you dare_ ’s and _you know better_ ’s can stop Nico from leaving the shop and walking down the narrow road the way she knows will lead to Witches’ Brew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for all the kind comments/kudos!! i'm glad y'all are enjoying reading this as much as i am writing it :)


	4. Owl Shopping

Karolina sits on a bench along the window to the right of the door, in the opposite corner from Nico’s table. There's a long, thin sort of table that runs just under the window. She’s got a book open, _The Beginner’s Guide to Charms, Enchantments, and Transfigurations_ , but she’s hardly paying attention to it. (Really, she's mostly just staring out the window, searching the busy passerby for any sign of Nico.) She’d flipped the sign to closed nearly half an hour ago, leaving the door unlocked. Stacey had gone upstairs some time ago, and now it was just her and Gert in the empty shop.

Karolina glances back at Gert as she hears he clatter of chairs hitting tables all at once. Gert stands in the center of the room, waving her wand, as the chairs lift themselves and land heavily on top of the tables.

“I could help you,” Karolina says, dog-earring her page as she shuts the book.

Gert gives her an incredulous look. “The last time you tried that, you almost put a chair through the window. Besides, it only takes one person.” She gestures around the cafe for emphasis—all the chairs are already put up. “I’d make you sweep, but I can't have you go out dirty on your _date_.”

Gert’s used the word ‘date’ about four hundred times, Karolina figures, despite her constant insistence that they are not, in fact, going on a date. She opens her mouth to tell Gert as much _again_ , but Gert just shakes her head. “I can't even tell if you're just nervous or _that_ in denial,” Gert says, shaking her head.

Karolina just lets out a sigh and tries to focus on the book for at least a few moments. She's on the page for _accio_ , a simple spell for bringing an object to the caster. For once, she does know the spell, so she flips the page. A healing charm, a bit more complex than the one she knows for making special drinks. She raises her gaze from the pages to the window again. The street is less busy than usual, but there are still quite a few wizards and witches winding their way down the cobbled road one way or another.

Karolina spots that familiar-looking plum jacket in the crowd. She shifts her gaze back to the book all-too-quickly, hoping she doesn't look like she was staring hopefully out the window for ages instead of reading a basic spell book. Karolina wonders briefly if she looks alright—she hadn't thought to run upstairs to change after her shift—and then mentally scolds herself, reminding herself that she is still very firmly of the mind that shopping for a pet owl she isn't entirely sure she needs qualifies as a date.

Karolina hears the bell on the door ring, and she tries to swallow back her nerves. _It's not a big deal,_ she tells herself. _You're just letting yourself get talked into buying an owl for no good reason other than hanging out with Nico._ She looks up from the book as Nico walks in. “Hey,” she says.

“Hey,” Nico replies, an easy grin on her face. “Ready to go?”

Karolina dog-ears the page in her book and snaps it shut. She smiles and leaves the book there as she gets up. “Yeah,” she says. “So, where's the ‘best owl shop in Diagon Alley’?”

Nico inclines her head towards the door. “Come on. It's not too far from here.”

Karolina glances at Gert. “You sure you don't want help with anything?”

Gert waves her off. “I'm almost done. Get out of here. See you later.” She grins before adding, “And you better tell me when you get back. You know, so I can meet the owl.”

Karolina knows perfectly well that it'll be so Gert can interrogate her for every detail of the not-date, but she nods. “ _If_ I bring back an owl.”

Nico snorts softly. “Oh, we’re getting you an owl. You can't go without one.”

Karolina grabs her bag and slings the strap over her shoulder as she gets up. “What, do wizards still not use email?”

“Owls are just _classy,_ ” Nico explains, as she opens the door. She lifts a hand in farewell to Gert as she steps outside and holds it open for Karolina. “You're not a proper witch without one. Or at least a cat or something.”

“I'm not sure I'm much of a proper witch anyway,” Karolina retorts, only half-joking. She heads through the doorway, glancing back once towards Gert. Her friend just gives her a quick thumbs up before she flicks her wand to get a pair of brooms moving across the floor.

“Well, that's going to be amended,” Nico tells her with a smirk. She sticks her hands in her jacket pockets and starts off down the road. Karolina follows along quickly.

Despite the name, Diagon Alley was large in area, with a number of other paths that branched off from it, leading to apartments or restaurants or little shops. It remained hidden from muggle view, and it was rare to ever see someone with no magic there. Karolina still didn't entirely understand the way it all worked, but she liked being here. There were no cars in Diagon Alley, no busy streets, and though people could be odd and rude as they were anywhere else, the place was filled with magic. It gave Karolina a sense of belonging, even if she was still learning to adjust to it.

Nico leads the way, weaving among the other people effortlessly. She slows every so often, pointing out some shop and offering a quick explanation or recommendation. Karolina is quiet, mostly, but she smiles and nods and takes in everything Nico says. Gert doesn't like going out, but Nico seems so comfortable here, and it's nice to be shown around. Karolina has wandered the Alley a number of times since she first moved here, but she's hardly explored the actual shops outside of ones she visits for necessities or supplies for the cafe.

“We used to come here every year before I went back to Hogwarts,” Nico tells Karolina, pointing out an apothecary as they stroll past it. “I’d get my cauldrons and broomsticks and whatnot handed down from my sister, but I'd always get to pick out my stuff here.”

“You and your parents?” Karolina asks, looking over the shop. They pause outside a wide window. The inside is cluttered with shelves full of vials and bundles of herbs, and customers are packed in as they grab what they need and examine it carefully.

It takes a few seconds for the response to come. “...Yeah,” Nico says. She’s a bit quieter, now, the smile on her face starting to fade. She shrugs and starts to walk again. “We used to.” There's a certain emphasis to her last words.

Karolina frowns. She can tell there's more to it, and she considers prompting Nico more, but decides against it. _I barely know her,_ she thinks. _It's not like I'm going to saddle her with my baggage, either._

Whatever had been affecting Nico seems to disappear as they get farther from the apothecary. She grins up at Karolina as she holds out a hand to point ahead of them. “See?” she says. “It's just around the corner up ahead. Not much of a walk.”

Karolina smiles back and nods. “Guess you were right.”

They continue until they reach the corner, where another path leads off from the main one. They turn here, and Nico points it out ahead of them, just a few shops down the road. There are a number of tables outside the store itself, with caged owls sitting on top. A few people look over the owls or step into the shop itself, and as they get closer, Karolina can hear a boy begging his mother for a little owl nearest to him.

“Please?” he asks, tugging on her robes. “Please please please please? I'll let it out every day and I won't forget to feed it!”

His mother just pats him on the back and shakes her head. “I've told you a thousand times you can have one when you go to school.”

“But I want one _now_ …” the kid protests.

Nico tugs Karolina by the arm, leading her past the tables of dozing owls and into the store. Karolina blinks as she adjusts to the lighting—or lack thereof. The only window is one by the door, and there are thick curtains covering it. The owls inside are either in hanging cages or are perched on little wooden bars that stand throughout the little store.

An older wizard is behind the counter. He calls out a quick “Welcome to Eeylops Owl Emporium!” before turning back to the young witch he seems to be assisting.

“So,” Nico says. “Any idea what kind of owl you want?”

Karolina shakes her head as she takes in the shop. The owls in here seem a bit more lively than the ones outside—a few let out hoots and screeches to one another, while others fly across the room to find another perch. The shelves and tables throughout the store are full of various owl supplies, from specialty treats to large travel cages. She reaches out to touch a huge great grey owl, which promptly attempts to peck her. She jerks her hand back, nearly avoiding injury, and frowns. “Maybe I shouldn’t get one."

Nico pulls her away again. “Greys are fussy anyway,” she says. “You don’t want one of those.”

Karolina finds herself smiling. “Maybe you should just tell me what kind of owl I want, then.”

Nico’s hand is still on her arm as she considers this. “Well… Scops owls are nice enough, but they’re not very strong and can’t fly too far. Barn owls and snowy owls are pretty popular, but so are eagle owls…”

Karolina walks around the store as Nico talks. She stops in front of one occupied perch and glances at Nico. “What about this one?” The owl is a pretty brown bird, covered completely in small white spots. It stares back at Karolina with wide, dark eyes.

Nico pauses and walks closer. “Oh!” she says. “Think that’s a spotted owl. They’re pretty well-behaved, and big enough to carry sizable packages.”

The owl lifts it head slightly and stretches out its wings as though completely aware they’re talking about it. Nico chuckles. “Think it likes you?”

Karolina bites her lip and crosses her arms. “I don’t know, Nico,” she says. “What am I going to do with an owl?”

“Feed it, pet it, use it to send me coffee,” Nico tells her, smirking at the last addition.

“Only if you send some pictures back,” Karolina shoots back.

“Consider it a deal,” Nico says. “Seriously, though, you should do it. Owls are great companions.”

Karolina reaches out to touch the owl, and it allows her to do so. She runs her hand down the owl’s back, revealing at how soft it feels. She pulls away, and the owl makes a low hoot.

“See?” Nico says. “It’s like it’s begging you to take it home. Look at those eyes.”

“I don’t think I should,” Karolina argues. “I don’t know anything about owls.”

“They’ve got books about it,” Nico replies. “And you can always ask Gert for help. Or me. Besides, it’s not like it’s hard. Give ‘em food and affection and keep them out so they can work when they’re needed.”

“Don’t they throw up their food?” Karolina tries. The more she stands in front of the owl, the more she wants to give in and buy it, but she’s still not all that convinced that she really _needs_ it. “I’m not sure I want owl vomit all over my apartment.”

“Okay, first, they throw up _pellets_ ,” Nico says, rolling her eyes. “They don’t just vomit all over the place. Second, they throw up the stuff they can’t digest. Like bones and fur and whatnot. If you feed them enough food, they’re not going to go out eating squirrels.”

Karolina hesitates still. “Okay, but—”

* * *

 

She’s not sure exactly when or how she caved, but Karolina finds herself walking out of the shop with the owl, now caged, hanging from one hand. Nico has a heavy bag full of supplies and a devilish grin on her face, and despite her misgivings, Karolina can’t say that she _isn’t_ looking forward to having a companion in her lonely apartment.

“I never got to have pets as a kid,” Karolina tells Nico. “My mom always thought pets were too dirty.”

Nico chuckles. “Well, you’ve got one now. Know what you’re going to name him?”

Karolina shakes her head. “Not yet. I wasn’t exactly planning on having to name an owl today.”

Nico laughs a little. They continue on, comfortably quiet, until Nico speaks again. “Seems like we’re heading back to the cafe. You forget something?”

“No,” Karolina replies. “I live upstairs. Gert’s parents own the building, and they rented me out an apartment above the shop when I moved here.”

“Nice of them,” Nico remarks. “Are you and Gert close?”

Karolina considers this a moment before replying. “Sort of,” she says. “We’re friends, but we haven’t exactly known each other long. I only moved here a couple months ago.”

Nico nods at this. “Do you have family around here or something?” she asks. “Don’t get me wrong, I like living here, but there’s a lot of wizarding towns like this in the states.”

Karolina doesn’t reply immediately. “Like I said before,” she replies, a bit quietly. “It’s a long story.”

Nico glances up at her as they round a corner, a curious look on her face. “Okay,” she says. “A girl’s gotta have her secrets. I get it.” She says this matter-of-factly, not sounding irritated by the non-answer. She looks as though she’s about to say something else, but she winces quite suddenly, clenches her eyes shut, and swallows heavily. “Ugh.”

Karolina frowns. “Are you okay?” Though Nico’s makeup makes it hard to notice at a glance, her face has become a bit ashen, and she looks like she might throw up. “You don't look so good.”

Nico nods stiffly. She hoists the bag up a bit as she adjusts her grip. “Kinda nauseous,” she says. “I think my leftovers I had for lunch were a little _too_ old.”

Karolina smiles sympathetically. “I can always ask Gert’s mom to make you some tea. She’ll probably make you let her read the leaves after, though.”

Nico snorts softly at this, but she shakes her head. “I should probably just head home after I drop this at your place. I've got a pretty sensitive stomach, but sleeping it off helps.”

“Okay.” Karolina knows she shouldn't, but she feels a prick of disappointment. She pushes it away, telling herself that she's being irrational. _You'll see her again at the cafe,_ she thinks.

The rest of the walk back is quiet. Nico looks more sickly every time Karolina glances at her, but she deflects any questions about her wellbeing, so Karolina quickly gives up on asking.

They make it back to the cafe, and Karolina stops short of walking towards the door and instead turns around the corner, heading into the alley. There's a rather plain-looking door down the way, on the side of the building, and Karolina stops in front of it. She sets down the owl’s cage to fish out her keys from a pocket and unlocks it.

Karolina holds the door open, but Nico shakes her head. “I should really go home,” she says, voice starting to strain. “Is it okay if I just leave this stuff in the doorway?”

Karolina hesitates. “Do you live far?” she asks. “You shouldn't walk back alone like this.”

Nico cracks a smile. “Thanks for caring,” she says. “But I’ll just apparate.”

“You'll… apparate?” Karolina echoes, not understanding.

“Like teleporting, basically,” Nico explains. “Its hard, but I've gotten good at it. Like I said… sensitive stomach. Happens all the time.”

Karolina nods, and watches as Nico sets the bag down inside the small hall and pulls out her wand. She closes her eyes a moment, before she opens them, smiles at Karolina, then turns on her heel. In an instant, there's a loud crack as her form distorts wildly and quite suddenly vanishes altogether.

Karolina steps back from the spot Nico had been standing in, blinking. She shakes her head a little and smiles. _See something new every day, I guess._


End file.
